HSV News

They went down that path with a cosmetically enhanced Nissan Pulsar-based Holden Astra in the 1980s that bombed miserably. But today, fuel prices are skyrocketing — and increasingly becoming a critical part of the car-purchase equation.HSV is returning to economy without deserting its traditional V8 heartland. Today you can fire up a HSV-tuned 177kW turbocharged Astra VXR and now the company is looking at bringing in the hot turbocharged 1.6-litre Corsa VXR.Already a hit in the UK, where it went on sale in March, the three-door pocket rocket will mark a continuing evolution in the direction of HSV.Former HSV chairman John Crennan, who retired last year but still wears the brand on his sleeve and remains a part of the company, explains HSV does not necessarily have to replicate a Holden product in its line-up, meaning an Epica HSV is highly unlikely. “The Corsa is one Euro brand we're looking at,” he says.Crennan says there is no specific time frame for the arrival of the Corsa, but if the numbers stack up, it could be here within 18 months.The car would be pitched into Mini Cooper S and Peugeot 207 GT territory with a price tag around $35,000. The Corsa VXR has 143kW on tap at 5850 revs and 230Nm from 1980 revs from a lightweight 1.6-litre four, giving the car sprint time of zero to 100km/h in 6.8 seconds and top speed of more than 220km/h. The VXR's four-pot is mated to a close-ratio six-speed manual. With its performance credentials and bold styling, the mini hatch fits perfectly into HSV's DNA.The mirrors, foglight-surrounds and centre exhaust all have a triangular theme, while the chunky front and rear bumpers, side skirts and 18-inch alloys hint at the performance underneath.Inside there are sculpted Recaro seats, racecar-style, flat-bottomed steering wheel, drilled alloy pedals and piano-black dash trim. Like the Mini Cooper S, it has an overboost facility that increases torque on demand to more than 260Nm under hard acceleration. The power is kept in check with a specially tuned ESP system, up-rated disc brakes, suspension and variably assisted power steering, which alters weight and feel of the wheel depending on the way the car is driven.In Australia, Holden's previous-generation XC Barina was a highly respected Opel-sourced Corsa model. But when the new TK Barina went on sale late in 2005, the company chose to source it from GM-Daewoo in South Korea. While competitively priced, the newest Barina scored poorly in the Australian and European New-Car Assessment Programs. It only managed a two-star crash rating.Meanwhile, the Brits are raving about our HSV Clubsport sedan. In a land beset by high petrol prices and appalling congestion, they can't get enough of the 6.0-litre — badged as a Vauxhall VXR8.HSV's managing director, Scott Grant, is also eyeing other markets. “We're committed to 300 Clubsport R8s a year to the UK for the next three years,” he says, adding that the new long-wheelbase Grange is the next export candidate — possibly to the Middle East and China.

New figures from GM Holden show V8 sales have risen significantly in the past 10 years. The number of Commodore buyers chosing a V8 ahead of a V6 also rose significantly.And V8s are a serious choice for private buyers.“The V8 mix is fantastic,” says GM Holden executive director of sales and marketing Alan Batey. “It's amazing. HSV has had record sales. There are hardcore people in this country who like exciting cars and fuel price on its own will not discourage them.”Batey says showroom results this year have been positive for Commodore. GM Holden finally moved ahead of its overall 2006 score for the first time in April as customers came back to its family flagship.Overall Commodore sales were 928 better in April 2007 than for the same month in 2006.Looking back 10 years, GM Holden says its percentage of V8 sales has more than doubled. They dipped between 2000 and 2005 but demand recovered quickly with the introduction of the latest 5.7 V8.“People still want performance cars,” Batey says.The number of V8 engines sold in 1996 was just over 4000 and increased to 7400 in 2006. The percentage of V8 sales was 5 per cent in 1995, 12 per cent in 2001 and peaked at 13 per cent last year.“The petrol crisis started in 2005 and by '06 was really biting. Yet that's when V8 sales were really strong,” GM Holden spokesman John Lindsay says.Batey says the VE Commodore is now kicking into high gear and he is confident the car is through the worst.“We're really happy with Commodore,” he says.“If you look at its share of segment, we've had a better launch than we had with the VT a decade ago if you consider all the dimensions. We have more V8s than we've ever had, more higher-end models than ever. We're building our car park. We're starting to see more of them on the road.“From a Holden perspective, the Commodore is still clearly the best-selling car in the country. It's not the demise of large cars but it's also not domination. There are people who want large cars, and want V8s and sport performance.”

The details were not confirmed until 6pm yesterday, as Holden's factory team ran down to the wire on demands from the Touring Car Entrants Group over its ownership and control.It faced a TEGA ultimatum over the involvement of Tom Walkinshaw, the former owner of HRT, and how much control he has under a new HRT structure topped by team owner and lead driver Mark Skaife.But HRT is not out of the woods, as it is only guaranteed a race place for the Clipsal 500.It now has 14 days to finally produce documents that satisfy TEGA that Skaife is in control of HRT, following a meeting in Sydney a week earlier, which also involved the Toll-HSV Dealer Team.Both teams have links to Walkinshaw, who supplies equipment and services to the race operations.Toll-HSV Racing was able to produce the necessary documentation for its operation last week, but HRT ran right up to the deadline yesterday.It was eventually hit with a final demand and the 14-day extension."The team will only be permitted to compete beyond Adelaide if Skaife Sports can satisfy TEGA that the contractual and financial arrangements are such that Mark Skaife is in true and effective control of the team," TEGA chairman Kelvin O'Reilly said.Skaife was not available for comment yesterday, with other senior members of HRT also on the way to Adelaide, but O'Reilly is hopeful."We clearly have made ground," he said.The dispute over HRT's operation has rocked both the team and its administrators, with neither side prepared to give ground.But the red Holden team is the Ferrari of V8 Supercars racing and a deal should eventually be struck that satisfies both sides.O'Reilly said TEGA is very reluctant to ban HRT because of its following in Australian motorsport."The boards of TEGA and V8 Supercars Australia have considered and understand the commercial consequences of such an outcome and recognise the need to protect the integrity of the competition for the benefit of all shareholders, stakeholders and fans for the long term," he said."Both boards are keen for the Holden Racing Team to continue in the V8 Supercars Championship Series, but only in full compliance with the provisions of the Teams License Agreement."

The painters and decorators have been the busiest men in the workshops in the off-season as sponsorship changes — many of them major — have changed the appearance of much of the field.So when the cars roll out for the traditional opening of the championship season in Adelaide (March 1-4) quite a few fans will struggle to recognise the cars of their favourite drivers.Not that many of the teams ever stay the same from year to year. Regenerative merchandising is a lucrative business in all sports and even the most subtle changes to the livery of a race team can result in merchandising bonuses.But this year some of the better-known teams have been burning the midnight oil as major sponsors prepare to shout their presence to the grandstands.This year's series consists of 14 rounds, with just two international events — in New Zealand and Bahrain.The V8s will not appear at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne this year because of a scheduling clash — a pity really becauseV8 officials had prised hard-won concessions from the Grand Prix Corporation as far as merchandising was concerned. But there is every chance the V8 teams, which relish the idea of promoting themselves and their sponsors before the huge crowds at the grand prix, will be back next year, given a more accommodating calendar.With the paint brushes barely dry in the workshops, here is a look at the colour of things to come this season:First off the block was Triple Eight Engineering which, even before the end of last season, telegraphed its association with the giant Vodafone telecommunications company. Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup will both pilot a bright orange-red Team Vodafone Falcon after the Betta Electrical sponsorship bit the dust.Sticking with Blue Oval, the Ford Performance Racing team has launched a new-look Falcon for Steve Richards with the Castrol Edge logo prominent on the green and red background.Stone Brothers will send out the exciting young gun James Courtney in new livery for the Jeld-Wen Windows and Doors mob.Dick Johnson Racing's reprieve came late but turned out to be worth waiting for with Jim Beam adorning the side of both his cars — and prominently so.Britek Motorsport has owner Jason Bright running things this year, as well as driving, and Fujitsu has stuck, while Irwin Tools will go around on the second Alan Gurr car.On the Holden side, all eyes are on HRT.The team which leads merchandise sales in the sport usually comes up with annual changes, even if sometimes they are a bit subtle. The launch of the new-look car was delayed last week but was unveiled yesterday as a brighter red than last year, another convert to the day-glo image, with the addition of a bit more black.Tasman Motorsport — with Greg Murphy joining Jason Richards for an all-Kiwi combination this year — has again opted for a segmented sponsorship with the team offering individual sponsorship at different rounds.The controversial Firepower company is expected to make a powerful impression — but over just four rounds.The Jack Daniel's rivalry with Jim Beam this year looks to be as emphatic as Holden v Ford, with Jim Beam not only joining forces with Dick Johnson, but also grabbing prominence as a V8 championship sponsor.Larry Perkins' cars remain predominantly in the Jack Daniel's sponsors' colours, albeit with a bit more white striping this season. Super Cheap Auto, with Cam McConville and Paul Dumbrell driving together this season, seems to have survived a turbulent12 months on the Stock Exchange and is back again with Paul Weel Racing.Even Garry Rogers has hired a signwriter and redesigned his two Holdens to carry prominent Valvoline and Cummins signs for the cars which carry the hopes of two young drivers who were quite impressive last year — Dean Canto and Lee Holdsworth.The Sirromet Wines car of Paul Morris is changed to a basic white background this year.John Bowe, having announced this will be his last year in a V8 Supercar, will roll out the Glenfords Falcon for Paul Cruickshank Racing bearing the racing No.111 as a tribute to Cruickshank's friend Mark Porter, who was killed at Bathurst last year.And for the champ?Well, Rick Kelly's Toll HSV signage is again the prominent part of the livery for both he and teammate Garth Tander.As far as Kelly is concerned, the change from the No.15 to the No.1 is small but nevertheless significant.RAY KERSHLER'S TOP 10 DRIVERSHOLDEN Rick Kelly: Defending champion in a well-heeled team. Under pressure to produce back-to-back championships now the point system has been restructured.Garth Tander: May be the main threat to his Toll HSV teammate,Rick Kelly. Unlucky last year when team tactics backfired and undermined his chances.Todd Kelly: The elder of the Kelly brothers. His team will be determined to restore some pride in the famous HRT brand and they have the backing to do so.Greg Murphy: Will form a formidable partnership with Jason Richards. In his fifth team in 11 years, Murphy might at last settle in as a championship contender.ROUGHIEDean Canto: Young driver who was consistent last year in a solid team. Has been given the chance to express himself this year when speed will count.FORD Craig Lowndes: In the eyes of Ford fans he is the defacto champ. Well drilled team will be striving to go one better for their star this year and may well do so.Steve Richards: Swapped over from Holden and should slot straight into a high profile Ford team.Another driver who will relish the revamped points system.Mark Winterbottom: Backing up from a tremendous season where he proved himself both quick and tactically adroit.Same team helps. And so does a new partner.James Courtney: Will start his second V8 season with immense confidence after a superb rookie year. Could be the surprise packet in the field.ROUGHIEJason Bright: Normally a front-runner, he has moved to take control of his own team. That may take time. He will need luck but has the speed to make his presence felt.

Motorsport guru Tom Walkinshaw has opened a new aftermarket "fun factory" specialising in turning Commodores and Astras into fast track and street machines.Walkinshaw Performance was launched last week with a range of upgrades, including superchargers, sports exhausts, AP Brakes packages, and suspension and lowering kits.The new division is completely (and deliberately) separate from Walkinshaw's official Holden-based performance company HSV, operating from the same Braeside factory as the Elfin sports car company.Walkinshaw Performance CEO Chris Payne, formerly of HSV, says there is no clash between Walkinshaw's aftermarket add-on department and HSV. He says the new department is for more extreme modifications than a manufacturer such as HSV is allowed to do."You could say that HSV has created this thriving aftermarket industry of copy and replica high-performance Commodores."HSV customers, like Commodore customers, have been buying the extra stuff from hundreds of tuning shops, so Walkinshaw Performance is an alternative to those aftermarket shops."Modifications start from $590 for lowered sports springs to $11,690 for a supercharger kit fitted to a VE Commodore V8.All upgrades are supplied and fitted by the company rather than handed over to do-it-yourself home mechanics. Most of them are performance-related.GM Holden spokesman Jason Laird says people will have to consult the carmaker before fitting any aftermarket product."The warranty on the parts and quality of workmanship is 12 months, so we don't support any better warranty than the best aftermarket companies out there," he says."In a lot of cases, the customer is not overly concerned about that because they are just looking for ways to make their cars a little bit sweeter, look a bit more aggressive, to handle better and to have a better exhaust note," Payne says."Some of those things may not affect a new car warranty, while in some cases we are doing older cars close to warranty expiry anyway."Unlike some tuning shops, all products have been tested by Walkinshaw Performance and racing drivers Rick and Todd Kelly."Quite often in the backyard operations, the customer's car is actually the prototype. In our business we run development cars," Payne says."This is aftermarket but it is designed with a mind to OE (original equipment). It's not just about kiloWatts because we look at reliability, durability and the total car. With every product you have to own it for five years — still going to the track, but also down the street."

Holden young gun Kelly assumed the lead of the V8 title race at the Tasmanian round earlier this month and heading into the penultimate round in the Middle East, the 23-year-old said he won't be resting on his 73-point lead over Ford champion Lowndes.Kelly said the fact HSV Dealer teammate Garth Tander, and older brother Todd Kelly, had already done a few laps around the Bahrain International Circuit as part of the Formula One grand prix earlier this year would put the Commodores at an advantage."One of the strong points of our team is how we get together and nut out a track," Kelly said."We have been doing our homework and Garth has given us some idea of what to expect."I reckon it will probably take the other drivers about two laps to get back on par with Garth and myself. That's how long it normally takes to dial in to a new track."The only real advantage that Garth and I might have is that we can word up our engineers on how to set the car up for the first session."Even though Kelly has yet to win a V8 round this season he said he won't risk the best shot of his short career at claiming the coveted series trophy in the selfish pursuit of a round win."We've just got to do what we've done all year - be consistent and make sure we don't do anything silly," he said."There are still 660-odd points up for grabs so it's a long way from the end."The championship remains our priority. Our second priority is to win the Manufacturer's Championship with the other Holden teams, and then the Teams' Championship for the Toll HSV Dealer Team."I'd like to think we can not just keep our championship lead, but extend it."Holdens dominated last year's first big offshore venture of the V8s, running in the top four places in Shanghai.But Tander, winner of the most recent round in Tasmania, said the Middle East is nothing like the Asian circuit although he still expects Commodore's to get the places sorted ahead of Ford."Bahrain should suit our cars better as it is more like a traditional circuit in several corners," he said.The Bahrain Desert 400 will have a practice session on Thursday.Qualifying, top 10 shootout and a 100km first race take place on Friday with two 140km races on Saturday.AAP

Each carmaker presented their new cars to the media on opening day in ways that reflected their brands, ranging from the inner sex kitten, blustering diva, demure sophistication and plain old snoring.

The question isn’t who 'wants' to be a racing car driver, but who doesn’t?Let’s put aside for a moment the issues of safety and speed limits because this is a boom time for sports cars, and we don’t just mean selfish two-seat coupes.From hot hatches to sports sedans and convertibles, the line between every day road hack and sports car is fading in terms of both looks, equipment and especially performance.The expanding sub-$45,000 turbocharged market is just the thing for those who realise sports and performance does not equate to expensive and impractical.Take Volkswagen’s immensely popular Golf GTI, whose appeal has just been boosted by the announcement of a three-door hatch which joins the existing five-door.The best news is the deletion of rear doors lowers the price $1500 to a very appealing $38,490.Running the same 147kW 2.0-litre turbo through a tight, very right six-speed manual or DSG gearbox, the two-door GTI’s aggressive profile now matches that of its more expensive V6 AWD stablemate, the R32.One of the GTI’s main rivals is HSV’s new Astra VXR Turbo, which aims to put both the VW and the recent Ford Focus XR5 Turbo in their places.The first ever non-V8 HSV thrusts out 177kW from its 2.0-litre turbo, the three-door hatch’s thick equipment list and $42,990 sticker putting it at the top of the price list of the current crop of turbo hot hatches.All too dear? Then Holden’s sporty Astra SRi could be the next best thing from the red lion, with a 2.2-litre good for 110kW, and a practical five-door hot hatch now joining the two-door coupe.Cheaper insurance premiums aren’t the only savings here, with a $29,990 starting price for the SRi five-door hatch.One spider that’s just swallowed a turbo is the new Mitsubishi Colt Cabriolet Turbo.Styled by Ferrari-fettling Pininfarina, the Colt’s hard roof extends in a lazy 22 seconds, but with 110kW from its 1.5-litre MIVEC engine everything else about it is fast, and its $37,990 retail makes it the cheapest way to get into topless turbo motoring – unless the new Peugeot 207 CC takes up the cause next year.There’s also the option of an 80kW non-turbo Cabriolet for $32,990, but our sports performance advisers will quickly slap that skim vanilla latte from your hand and guide you to the more sporty Colt Ralliart.The Cabriolet’s hardtop sibling, the Colt Ralliart, runs the same 1.5 turbo MIVEC engine but squirts out a little more power for 113kW. With its Evolution Lancer bonnet vent, Tupperware bodykit and rev-happy engine, at $29,990 it targets the likes of VW’s $26,990 Polo GTI turbo.All too turbo? If the insurance company answers the turbo request with an engaged signal, the Suzuki Swift Sport could be the answer to the P-plate blues.Reviving the Swift GTi of the 1990s, the new Sport’s 1.6-litre uses variable cam timing to peak out 92kW through its 16-inch alloys, making it a quarter-more powerful than the GTi.Airbags and ABS tick the safety boxes too.At $23,990, the Swift Sport has potentially the strongest sports-to-price ratio of the hot hatch heroes - meaning there are now many more reasons for a hot hatch upheaval. Hurrah.

Holden has re-engineered and re-aligned its entire performance car range with the introduction of the VE Commodore, introducing a new model – the SS V – as the performance flagship.In response, Ford has upped the ante on the BF Falcon and its highperformance Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) derivatives.And if that's not enough, 2006 saw Chrysler introduce the stove-hot 6.1-litre V8 powered 300C SRT8, which represents the biggest and most powerful V8 engine you can buy in a muscle car today.HOLDEN COMMODORE PERFORMANCE MODELSHolden's flagship muscle car gets a new designation with VE – it's called the SS V. Below that is the SS, which roughly equates to the outgoing VZ Commodore's SV8 model. And, at the entry level is the SV6, which gets the high-output version of the 3.6-litre V6.There's no mistaking the performance intent of SS V, with its huge wheel arches, in-your-face front air dam and purposeful rear wing. Inside is a new touch – a racestyle flat-bottomed steering wheel and jet fighter-style instrumentation.It's powered by the L98 6.0-litre V8 producing peak outputs of 270kW (5700rpm) and 530Nm (4400rpm).(VE's engine is very closely related to the VZ's L76 6.0-litre, which produced 260kW and 510Nm.) The L98 is standard on SS and SSV (it's a $4700 option elsewhere in the range). What's changed dramatically is chassis refinement. The VE performance models offer levels of turn-in, steering feedback, grip and driver involvement that's up there with some very capable Euro cars – most of which can't hold a candle to 270kW either.SS V rides on 19-inch five-spoke alloys shod with 245/40 Bridgestone Potenzas, while SS and SV6 share 18-inch slotted five-spoke alloys and 245/45 Potenzas.SS and SS V are available with six-speed transmissions – both the manual and auto are six-speeders – and the auto is a slick-shifting masterpiece. SV6 gets either a sixspeed manual or five-speed auto.You want performance? Both V8 models will shatter six seconds to 100km/h and go on to annihilate 14secs for the standing 400m.Comparable times for the SV6 are 7.5 and 15.5sec respectively. Quite simply, the new VE doesn't hang around.HSV has an over-riding desire: To stand alongside elite luxury brands like BMW and Audi with its head held high. And now, with its VE Commodorederived vehicles, it can. The brand wants – needs – customers to see it as a stand-alone marque, separate to Holden.The new E-Series GTS and Senator are exactly the right vehicles for those buyers. GTS is boldly a performance car, rolling on massive 20-inch alloys (the biggest ever fitted to an Australian production car) and equally huge tyres.Rears are massive 275/30 section Bridgestones, while fronts are 245/35. The slightly more subtle and rounded Senator has Europe even more directly in its sights – and cars like the BMW 5-Series need to be worried.Visually stunning without being gaudy, both are instantly differentiated visually from Holden's lineup. Power and torque are up, albeit modestly, to 307kW (from Holden's 270) and 550Nm (Holden: 530).But the biggest news with these cars is at each corner, beneath theskin. They share something with the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and new Audi TT – HSV's elite entrants boast Magnetic Ride Control (MRC) suspension.This allows them to change from ultra-taut supreme handling machines to super-smooth cruisers at the flick of a microchip.HSV's entry-level E-Series offering – Clubsport – lacks the miracle of MRC, but it packs exactly the same underbonnet punch as GTS and Senator.Priced in the early-$60,000s, it's around $12,000 easier to slip into – about midway between Holden's SS V and HSV's GTS.FPVNothing Holden can offer in the sixcylinder department can hold a candle to Ford's prowess with tweaking big kilowatts from its in-line 4.0-litre six.Producing an amazing 245kW in standard trim inside Falcon XR6 Turbo, thanks to a turbocharger with intercooler, Ford Performance Vehicles ups that to 270kW in its hi-tech F6 Tornado ute and Typhoon sedan.That's more power than the straight six-powered BMW M3, and although the Beamer lacks a hairdryer, there is the not-so small matter of the $80,000 extra, above the price of the Typhoon, you must spend to acquire one.FPV's Force 8 is powered by the quad cam 5.4-litre Boss 290 V8, which manages near-HSV outputs despite having 600cc less engine capacity.FPV's 'Force' models, like HSV's offerings, are aimed squarely at corporate executives who want an Australian-built alternative to European luxury marques, according to Ford boss Tom Gorman.Both FPV models are available exclusively with the world-renowned, slick-shifting ZF 6HP26 high-torque six-speed automatic transmission, which manages to snatch sophisticated shifts in the face of awesome grunt from both engines. Both models also boast supreme stopping power thanks to Brembo brakes – four-piston callipers at the front and single-piston callipers at the rear. An even more powerful Brembo brake system with six-piston front callipers and four-piston rears is optional.CHRYSLER 300C SRT8If you really, really want to stand out in a performance car, plant your rear end in one of these babies. The Chrysler Street and Racing Technology (SRT) version the 300C knows no equals, and boasts exclusivity-factor up to here.With a class-leading 317kW and a 0-100km/h time in the mid-five-second range, plus a competitive $71,990 pricetag, the Chrysler 300C SRT8 is the first SRT vehicle to be powered by a 6.1-litre Hemi V8, which offers not only Australia's biggest muscle car engine, but 25 per cent more power than the 5.7-litre standard engine.With 20-inch alloy wheels, performance-tuned suspension and Brembo brakes, the 300C SRT8 is engineered with stopping power to match its incredible capacity to accelerate.Since going on sale in its 5.7-litre V8 and 3.5-litre V6 guise the 300C has carved an unprecedented 30 per cent share in the sub-$100,000 large segment. The 300C SRT8 is the second SRT branded vehicle to be sold in Australia, joining the high performance Crossfire SRT6.The 2006 Chrysler 300C SRT8 connects with the road via a new wheel and tyre assembly consisting of 20-inch forged alloy wheels shod with high-performance Goodyear F1 245/45 (front) and 255/45 (rear) threeseason asymmetrical tyres.Power-adjustable sport seats with suede inserts are standard up front – they're heated, naturally, and come with memory functions.

Close your eyes and you could be riding in a Euro car. Open your eyes and it feels as if you are driving a Euro car.The difference is that Euro cars don't approach the bang-for-your-bucks blast of the HSV cars with their thumping exhaust notes from well-tweaked big-bore V8s.The Euros also don't have the all-round value of the HSVs.The preview of the E Series cars is short but runs over some great roads, including a dash through the Dandenongs.This highlighted a couple of minor glitches in the final finish of the cars, but these are not full production cars and HSV says there will be no dramas in showrooms.The Clubsport R8 is up first and delivered as expected. It is quick, composed, well-equipped and delivers the driving enjoyment you expect in a car with an HSV badge.It feels more planted and more balanced than any earlier HSV car, even the high-priced ones, and - at last - a real leap up from an SS Commodore.It works well with the new six-speed auto (an extra $2000), but really honks with the slick new manual shift.The Senator Signature is, as you would expect, a more relaxed drive.Still taut, but with the emphasis on luxury in the cabin, a subtle ride and auto-shift V8 bang for overtaking.And the GTS? This is the car with the Magnetic Ride Control, which is awesome, as well as the full pack of go-fast gear.The suspension system crushes bumps while giving astounding grip and balance.There is a switch to flick between road and track settings, but even the firm option is compliant and keeps the car sitting flat in corners.The car encourages you to push harder, but we never get close to the limit. That must be reserved for a racetrack.We didn't try HSV's sub-five-second claim for a 0-100km/h sprint, but it seems about right, and the LS2 engine is a real stormer.We wonder about a single spacesaver spare, in front-wheel size, and some people will huff about the economy. But not the owners.Based on our first drive, and the GTS in particular, Australia is ready to shoot for the world cup.